Client
Location: El Paso, TX, United States
Completion date: 2020
Artwork budget: $20,000
Project Team
Artist
Terry Wright
Artist
Katie Gelinas
Museums and Cultural Affairs Department
City of El Paso
Overview
This colorful mosaic bring the beauty of Mt. Cristo Rey (a limestone statue of Christ located the stop of the Sierra de Cristo Rey) and its flora and fauna into the Polly Harris Senior Center in El Paso, TX. The two floor-to-ceiling panels are approximately 4’x9’ and are located at the entrance to the center. The first panel depicts a hummingbird, cactus, and poppies with Mt. Cristo Rey in the background. The second panel includes a jackrabbit, bird, cactus blossoms and poppies.
Goals
The goal of Living Desert is to bring nature into the Polly Harris Senior Center. The center is surround by a park setting with a spectacular view of Mount Cristo Rey and the Mountains. The view is not accessible from inside the facility, so the mosaic panels depict the mountains, flora, and fauna bringing the desert landscape and nature into the center for all to enjoy.